Boring mechanism



May 19, 1942 H. B. sHEPARD v2,283,469 y BORING MECHANISM Filed Feb. l,1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. E.

May l9, 1942-. .l5-l. SHEPARD BORING MECHANISM v Filed Feb. 1, 1941 4sheets-sheet s May 19, 1942.

BORING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 1, 1s 41 4 sheets-snee; 4

mi? m a-FTI i Een?? B. epad,

1 H. B. sHEPAD 2,283,469 l Patented May 19, 1942 BORING MECHANISM HenryB. Shepard, Newton, Mass., assignor to Stowe-Woodward, Inc., NewtonUpper Falls, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application February1, 1941, Serial No. 377,063

11 Claims.

This invention relates to a device whereby a hole at least in partcurved may be quickly and accurately bored with a drill having a rigidstraight shank.

A particular application of the invention is to the boring offinger-receiving holes in hard rubber bowling balls. In my copendingapplication, Serial No. 377,064, filed February 1, 1941, I havedisclosed such a ball having finger-receiving holes of circularcross-section and each including an outer straight portion to oppose themedial phalange of the linger inserted therein, a curved portion in theform of a spiral arc with its conveXity opposing the palmar side of thefinger at the joint between the medial and distal phalanges and an innerstraight portion to oppose the distal phalange. The proportions of thevarious parts are such as to suit the individual who is to use the ball;that is, in general each ball is individually drilled and will differmore or less from ing mechanism a drill press of conventionalconstruction to provide means for holding and rotating a drill and bythe feed of its spindle to effect relative rectilinear movement betweenthe drill and work. Therefore, from one pointl of View, in the case ofthe embodiment illustrated,

the invention provides an attachment for a drill press whereby boringwork of the kind referred to may be done.

My invention will be well understood by reference to the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, where-Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a drill press and an attachment theretowhereby it becomes a drilling mechanism exemplifying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a View on a larger scale of some of the parts shown in Fig. 1with part in vertical section;

Fig. 3 is a View like Fig. 2 showing the parts in another position;

Fig. 4 is a plan of the drilling attachment; and

Fig. 5 is an end View as seen from the left in Fig. 4.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, I have there shown a drill press ofordinary construction having a work-supporting table 6 which is opposedby the spindle 8 carrying the drill-receiving chuck Ill. The spindle isrotated by the pulleys I2 and may be fed axially by the hand wheel I4.The drill here shown has an enlarged head I6,

which may be generally similar to a short segment of an ordinary metalboring twist drill, supported by a reduced shank I8. When a curved holeis bored, as in Fig. 3, a limit is imposed by the engagement of theshank I8 of the drill with the side of the hole. It will be understoodthat the drill might move somewhatbeyond the position shown in Fig. 3corresponding to a further ,advance of the drill head downwardly andtoward the left around the curve there shown by providing a clearancefor the shank of the drill at the right in the figure, as, for instance,by permitting the shank to abrade its Way past the outer margin of thehole. While such a surface imperfection might be permissible in somecases, it usually can be avoided. l

In the drawings the adjustment ofthe parts which I am about to describeis 4such as to provide for boring a bowling ball with a hole consistingof an outer spiral arc terminating in an inner straight portion. Amanner of adjusting the mechanism to provide an outer straight portionbefore the hole begins to curve will be referred Vto as the descriptionproceeds. v

To provide for supporting the bowling ball or other piece of work and topermit a relative rotative movement betweenthe drill and worksimultaneously with rectilinearmovement effected by the feed of thedrill I provide a suitable support which herein takes the form of aframe 28 adapted to be mounted on the table 6 of the drill press andwhich may be secured by the bolts 22 in the usual slots in the latterproviding for its adjustment relative to the line of the drill, as bymoving it upwardly or downwardly, viewing Fig. 4, that is, transverselyto the plane of the paper in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Trunnions 24 on the sidesof the frame provide for the swinging support of a cradle 26 in whichthe ball B is received. This cradle may embody an end -wall on which ismounted a concaved pad 28 of soft rubber against which one side of theball may rest while a similar pad 30 is carried on the head 32 of anadjusting screw 34 opposing the pad 28 permitting the ball to be clampedat diametrically opposed points, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and sopositioned.

While the drill rotates, it and the work are capable of two relativemotions, a rectilinear motion axial of the drill, herein effected by thefeed of the spindle, and a relative rotary or swinging rectilinearmovement during atleast a portion of the latter. When the drill israised, the cradle 26 may be swung downwardly clockwise beyond thepositions of Figs. 1 and 2 to provide for easy insertion of the ball.The position shown, for instance, in Fig. 2 may be considered an initialoperative position as distinct from a loading position and herein I haveshown a removable strut 36 adapted to support the cradle in thisposition from below but permitting its movement from that position in acounterclockwise direction. In Fig. 2 the drill head I5 is illustratedas just about to commence to form a hole in the ball and in theadjustment of parts shown the succeeding drilling action will be along acurved arc due to a downward feed of the drill and a counterclockwiserotation of the ball in its cradle about the journals 24. To effect thismotion the cradle carriesa suitable abutment remote from the pivot point24 to permit a rotating torque to be exerted on the cradle and hereinthis abutment is in the form of a transverse roller 38 constituting acam bowl or follower, which is supported by arms 45 extending from thesides of the cradle. Cooperating with the roller 38 is an edge cam orwiper in fixed relation to the spindle of the drill whenthe frame isadjusted in a plane perpendicular to the paper, viewing Figs. 2 and 3.The cam is driven through a wrist pin 481 attached thereto over whichengages the forked end of an arm 55, the other endof which is pivoted toa collar 52 which may be clamped about the spindle of the press. It isclear that with the parts in the position of Fig. 2, if the spindle ofthe press is fed downwardly, the cam will swing clockwise and, if itsedge is properly shaped, it will through the follower roller 38 swingthe cradle 26 counterclockwise, viewing the figure, so that the openingformed by the drill will be curved as illustrated in Fig. 3. Normallythe permissible limit of swinging movement of the ball B is determinedby A the engagement of the shank ISB of the drill with the side of thecurved hole, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

To interrupt the swinging movement of the work when such engagementoccurs or at an earlier time if conditions so indicate, while permittingcontinued feed of the drill and a continuation of the hole in a rightline the rise portion of the cam, at the low point of which the roller38 is shown engaged in Fig. 2, terminates in a circular portion 55. InFig. 3 the follower 38 has moved under this circular portion 54. Thisconstruction permits continued rotation of the cam as the drill spindledescends in that gure without corresponding swinging movement of theball-carrying cradle although, as will be apparent from the figure, thecam 4Z will serve as a supporting member cooperating with the roller 38to hold the cradle in the elevated or up-swung position shown in Fig. 3.In other words, while the swinging cradle is actuated by the feed of thedrill spindle, a lost motion is provided between them which permitscontinuation of the boring operation in a rectilinear direction afterthe completion of the desired curve.

When it is desired to provide the bored hole with an initial straightportion, before the curvilinear boring commences a lost motion may beprovided during the initial portion of the relative vertical movement ofthe drill and work. In order to accomplish this I have herein shown thearm 5D as of adjustable length, being formed in two parts with a slotand bolt connection at 56 while the forked end which embraces the wristpin 48 is of considerable length to provide a slot which will permitsubstantial shortening of the arm without disengagement of the same fromthe wrist pin. It will be plain that if the arm 58 were shortened withthe other parts in the position shown in Fig. 2, there Would be provideda clearance between the bottom of this slot and the wrist pin 48 whichwould permit the arm 50 to descend idly as the drill spindle was feddownwardly before it exerted any force on the wrist pin to turn the camand thereby to tilt Vthe with the ball at the beginning of such feed, asin Fig. 2, the first action of the drill would be'tol bore a straightcylindrical hole until this lost motion was taken up when the work wouldcommence to swing to provide a continuation of the hole as a curve untilthe follower 38 reached the circular portion 54 of the cam, causingagain a lost motion between the drill spindle and the mechanism forswinging cradle 26.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific formswithout departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and Itherefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respectsas illustrative and not restrictive; reference being had to the appendedclaims rather than to the foregoing description to. indicate the scopeof the invention.

I claim:

1. A boring appliance comprising a drill-rotating means, a work support,means for relatively translating them in the direction of the axis ofrotation of the drill and means responsive to such translative movementfor also simultaneously swinging one about a line transverse to saidaxis and at a side thereof.

2. A boring appliance comprising a drill-rotating means, a work support,means for relatively translating them in the direction of the axis ofrotation of the drill and means for simultaneously swinging one about aline transverse to said axis and' at a side thereof during a selectedportion of such translative movement. n

3. A boring appliance comprising a drill-rotating means, a work support,means for relatively translating them in the direction of the axis ofrotation of the' drill and means for simultaneously swinging one about aline transverse to said axis comprising a cam which is rotatedconsequently to translative movement.

4. A boring apparatus comprising a drillrotating means, a work holder,one being guided for rectilinear movement toward the other in thedirection of the axis of rotation of the drill, and one being mountedfor swinging movement about a line transverse to said axis and at oneside thereof, and means forV exerting torque about said line on theswinging element, said means being connected to the other element to beactuated thereby whereby swinging is effected simultaneously with afeeding movement.

5. A boring apparatus comprising a drillrotating means, a work holder,one beingA guided for rectilinear movement toward the other in thedirection of the axis of rotation of the drill, and one being mountedfor swingingmovement; about a line transverse to said axis and at oneside thereof, means for exerting torque on said swinging element at apoint remote from said line including a driving arm connected to saidother element having a lost motion connection to said means at the laterportion ofvthe operative travel of the parts.

6. A boring apparatus comprising a drillrotating means, a work holder,one being guided other element having a lost motion connection.,

to said means at the earlier portion of the operative travel of theparts.

7. A-n attachment for a drill press comprising a frame, a work holderjournalled therein having an abutment element at a point remote from itspivot, means for exerting force on said abutment element Yto swing theholder including an actuating arm and means for connecting the arm tothe travelling spindle of the press.

8. An attachment for a drill press comprising a frame, a work holderjournalled therein having an abutment element at a point remote from itspivot, means for exerting force on said abutment element to swing theholder including an actuating arm having lost motion ,relative to said A`means during the later portion of its actuating stroke and means forconnecting the arm to the travelling spindle of the press.

9. An attachment for a drill press comprising .a frame, a work holderjournalled therein having an abutment element at a point remote from itspivot, means for exerting force on said abutment element to swing theholder including an actuating arm having lost motion relative to saidmeans during the earlier portion of its actuating stroke and means forconnecting the arm to the travelling spindle ofthe press.

10. An attachment for a drill press comprising e a frame, a work holderjournalled therein having an abutment element at a point remote from itspivot, a cam cooperating with the abutment and Y means for driving thecam responsive to the travel of the spindle of thepress. l1. A boringappliance comprising a drillrotating means, a work support, the twobeing

